+1 vote
by (330 points)
edited by
Hi !

When I note the breath, sometimes, due to the agitated state I'm in, the breath is quite fast and I often don't have the time to use the word "rising", it's already "falling".

So I find myself using an invented word being "risefall", "risefall", etc, until the breath calms itself, and then i start using "rising" and "falling" again, trying to strech the word so that it coincides with the movement.

Is it okay to use that "risefall" word (or any other word ? I hear using the word "breathing" isnt necessarily recommended ?)?  Or should I stick with the "rising"/"falling", even when the breath is quite fast and I find myself saying "rising"/"falling" extremely quickly in my mind (way faster that just one word a second in my mind sometimes) and sometimes skipping some "risings" altogether?

In a general manner, is it okay to say words faster than once a second when noting ?

Any advice ?

Thank you !

2 Answers

+1 vote
by (8.5k points)
Try to notice the difference between rising and falling even if it's fast. You can note knowing or feeling. I'm curious as to why rising and falling are happening in less than a second for you. Are you out of breath for some reason? Did you finish some strenuous activity before doing sitting meditation? Are you doing walking meditation before sitting?

If it's because you are upset you should note angry until it goes away.
by (330 points)
Hi !

Thank you for your answer.

Well, as a software developer, I often find myself working for many hours straight. When I take a break, I find my breath is very fast. These are the times when the rising happens faster than the falling, and that the full cycle often takes less than a second.

I understand I have to do walking meditation before sitting meditation, but in these cases, my intention isn't necessarily to do formal meditation,  but more to take a break on my balcony and to be mindful during that time.

Should the breath almost instantly go back to a slow pace once we are mindful of it,  or does it sometimes take time ? I feel like that I might be talking about that in between state, right after a strenuous activity as you mentioned and that maybe trying to keep up with the breath by repeating extremely fast "rising"/"falling" in my mind only perpetuates the "agitated" state and thus the rapidity of the breath ?
 
But maybe there is a more "obvious" state to note before focusing on the breath and maybe it's in fact that state that perpetuates the rapidity of the breath. It's possible there's a bit of resistance on my end as well, I'll try to pay more attention to that.

In any case, thank you again very much for your answer.
0 votes
by (1.6k points)
Meditation will not help you if your mind is agitated. So first calm your mind. 3 years before when Buddhism was not known to me i was meditating and i ended everytime with the same agitated mind before i sat on meditation. So i was not getting the fruits of meditation. After i have taken refuse to Buddha's teaching my mind is calm and now i meditate and it is helping me lot to be mindful...

Namo buddhaya.
by (330 points)
Hi,

Thank you for your answer.

I understand, I'm also trying to understand Buddhism theory and philosophy and apply some aspects of it to my life so that I stop cultivating unwholesome states and get better at meditation.

Regards,
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